SEATTLE (Ticker) -- "The Glove" had his fingerprints all over
this one.

Gary Payton scored 34 points and handed out eight assists as the
Seattle SuperSonics extended their season-high winning streak to
five games with a 107-87 rout of the hapless Washington Wizards.

Known for his defensive prowess, Payton made 12-of-24 shots from
the field and 10-of-11 free throws. The All-Star point guard
fell four points shy of his season high for points, established
December 3 against Golden State.

A big game against the Wizards was nothing new for Payton, who
scored 41 points against them here last February. The 41 points
were a career high that he has since surpassed.

"Gary was Gary tonight," Wizards forward Juwan Howard said. "It
doesn't surprise me and it shouldn't surprise you either. He was
out there playing ball and being a professional. He was just
being the great player he is."

Rashard Lewis added 21 points and eight rebounds for Seattle,
which took control of the contest with a 17-6 run in the third
quarter that opened an 81-65 advantage.

Seattle improved to 9-3 since Nate McMillan took over as coach
for the fired Paul Westphal.

Juwan Howard scored 21 points for the Wizards (5-22), who have
lost 12 of their last 13 games and have the second-worst record
in the league, better only than Chicago.

Despite their poor record, the Wizards were still in the game
and trailed 64-59 with 10 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter
following hook shot by Howard. Washington, however, quickly
resorted to its bumbling ways.

Shammond Williams drained a 3-pointer, triggering a 17-6 burst
for Seattle that Patterson capped with a dunk that opened an
81-65 bulge with 2:46 left in the quarter. Payton had eight
points in the surge.

"They are an NBA team," Patterson said. "We didn't want to take
those guys for granted. In the second half, the coaches said,
`Put it away,' and that's what we did."

Washington was awful in the quarter, scoring 14 points in the
period while going the final 6:42 of the quarter without a
basket. The Wizards trailed 82-67 entering the final period.

"We were right there, I think it was like a seven-point game,"
Wizards coach Leonard Hamilton said. "We had been getting the
type of shots that we wanted. There was a period there when we
went 0-for-10. The 0-for-10 was basically with good shots. We
have to step up and make those shots when we have those
opportunities."

The Sonics never let Washington make a game of it in the fourth
quarter, leading by double digits throughout. A 12-footer by
rookie Desmond Mason gave Seattle its biggest lead at 107-85
with 1:34 to play.